Things have been quiet on the Avon walk front. Our last fundraiser was several weeks ago, and I’ve received one huge donation since – my sister sent me $250! (This seems like a good time to mention that you can donate to the Avon walk and choose a flexible payment option which allows you to split up your donation over several months. It makes things less painful on your purse.)

Anyway, with the walk looming on the horizon, it seems like a good time for me to start thinking about my health – before, during, and after the walk. You’ll remember that in the first year of my breast cancer walking, I ended up at the doctor a week or so later, with unbearable pain in my knee. He chalked it up to walking 60 miles in 3 days and prescribed a brace for me to wear. With my cheap health insurance, the whole visit, including a quick x-ray, only cost me $40!

In 2007, I knew what to expect and wasn’t surprised when my legs started hurting during the walk. I spent a lot of time at the medical tent icing and wrapping my legs. No visit to the doctor needed.

This year, I’ll be in New York for the walk. It’s a shorter distance, so I’m hoping that means less pain.

Zumba will be the death of me.

I thought I was in good shape, but last night there were little old ladies that put me to shame. An hour of bouncing and jumping and prancing and dancing kicked my ass! Our instructor was…interesting. If you’ve ever seen The Family Guy, you’ve probably seen the character of Mort Goldman. If you haven’t, he’s a sterotypical Jewish guy. Picture a gay Mort Goldman, approximately 60 years old, wearing a Nike headband, and shaking his booty to Shakira, and you’ve got the Zumba instructor I had last night.

I’m in Pittsburgh right now for a business trip, and last night I took a quick walk around the downtown area to see the sights. Walking is one of the best ways to see a city, I think! It certainly wasn’t enough to count for a training walk, and the amount of food and beer I’ve ingested over the past few days hasn’t helped, so I need to kick it into full gear when I get back home to Florida.

I was asked to go to the YMCA yesterday to attend a class with a friend, but I had to say no. There’s no way I could keep up in Powerflex, as sore as I am! My lower back is the worst. I feel it every time I walk around. Going up the 3 flights of stairs today at work was pure torture!

I’m off to the YMCA this afternoon to try a Zumba class, or all things! (Not my idea, LOL!) I’ve heard Zumba can be a bit addicting. Anything will be better than the lame-o tai chi class I tried last year, that was full of little old ladies.

Zumba is inspired by Latin dance, and it’s a mix of movement, dance, aerobics, and it gives your heart a fantastic workout. I don’t think I’ll get to the YMCA early enough for my regular warm up, so I hope I can handle the heat!

I went to the YMCA last night, for the first time since we’ve moved. When I left, my legs felt like Jello. I did a warm up on the treadmill, a few of the machines for my hamstrings and quads, and then the elliptical. Surprisingly, I am not sore today. Maybe I’m in better shape than I thought I was? I need to get back in the habit of going to the YMCA 2 or 3 times a week. I’m a naughty 3-Day slacker on my training.

My husband is going to get quite the workout today.

He’s taking our son to a skate and shoot this afternoon. That’s like open session ice skating, except it’s just for hockey players. Basically ice time to play with the puck, but not an organized game. Now, my husband has been ice skating a lot, but this is an hour on the ice with the puck and the stick. I think he’s going to be sore and achy tonight!

As for me, I’ll be watching from the bleachers!

I go into my office to work once a week, and when I get there, I walk up three flights of stairs to my floor. It’s not that I’m a health nut, but the elevator is on the far side of the building, so I’m saving steps. When I’m at home and going upstairs, I take them 2 at a time. Good for my butt.

This guy is taking stair climbing to a whole new level this Saturday, when he takes part in an event that will have him climbing over 1300 stairs! That’s a LOT of climbing, but his butt must look fantastic.

The next time your kids ask to go on the computer, or watch a TV show, make them work for it. Suggest that for every block of TV or internet time they want, that they earn it by running around outside. Studies have shown that just 15 minutes a day of outside play can help children avoid becoming obese. My oldest ALWAYS wants to be on the computer or in front of the TV, but we’re encouraging her to go outside and ride her bike, or take the dogs for a walk, instead of plopping on the couch and doing nothing.

Children who did 15 minutes a day of moderate exercise (equivalent to a brisk walk) were 50% less likely than inactive children to be obese.

My kids will all be going to camp during spring break next week. The cost was worth it to ensure that I wouldn’t hear, “I’m bored” for 5 days straight. My oldest is taking a hip hop dance class for 8 hours a day – that’s great for her, because she’s usually the one who wants to watch TV or get online. My middle child, who is pretty active outside, will be taking a cooking class. And my baby boy will be doing a basketball camp each morning. He’s so excited about that – I hope he’ll pick up some tips and pointers that will get him excited about playing at home too.